History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III, Part 101

Author: Davis, W. W. H. (William Watts Hart), 1820-1910; Ely, Warren S. (Warren Smedley), b. 1855; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III > Part 101

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Charles R. Nightingale

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

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deep religious feeling, and finally entered the ministry of the Baptist church. In 1838 he was elected pastor of the Bap- tist church at New Britain, Bucks coun- ty, and located at Doylestown. He was an earnest and forceful extempore speak- er, and an energetic worker for the ad- vancement of his church. He continued as pastor of the New Britain congrega- tion until January 1, 1845, meanwhile preaching occasionally at Doylestown and other points. From 1845 until 1860 he conducted a store at his residence at the corner of State and Main streets, Doylestown, where he sold books, drugs, and general merchandise, and preached occasionally at Doylestown and other places. In 1846 he started a subscription to build a Baptist church in Doylestown, and several hundred dollars were col- lected for that purpose, and a lot pur- chased on State street where Mrs. Frank Mann now lives, and work begun on the proposed building in 1850. By reason of inability to collect sufficient funds, how- ever, the building was never finished, and the lot was finally sold, and the proceeds went towards the erection of the present Baptist church of Doylestown. One of Mr. Nightingale's admirers recently spoke of him as the "Zachary Taylor of the Baptist Ministry," on account of his "rough and ready" methods; selecting his text he proceeded to expound the doctrine of Christianity, clearly and for- cibly, regardless of the foibles of his congregation, and his discourse lacked the suavity and persuasive eloquence that later characterized pulpit oratory. Most of the later years of Mr. Nightingale's life were spent in Philadelphia, though he was a frequent visitor in Doylestown, where members of his family continued to reside. He died in Philadelphia, March 3, 1881. He married in Phila- delphia, June 8, 1814, Emma, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Billington of that city, who was born February 25, 1798. The children of Rev. Samuel and Emma Billington Nightingale were: Thomas West, born in Philadelphia, February 27, 1815, died in Baltimore, July 20, 1819; Samuel, born in Baltimore, November 2, 1818, died in infancy; Matilda, born July 21, 1820, died at Doylestown in 1840, and was buried at New Britain; William B., born 1822, died 1825; Henry B., born at Baltimore, June 21, 1825,- died at Rose- mont, New Jersey, September 10, 1873; Ann Eliza, born November 22, 1827, died at Peekskill, New York, in 1890, married (first) Judge Richard Jones, of Phila- delphia (who was consul at Cairo, Egypt, during Buchanan's administration), and (second) Charles B. Tatham (of the firm of Tatham Brothers, New York, Phila- delphia and London); and Mary Della, born October 3, 1829, died March 30, 1903, married in 1875, Richard Keen Kuhn, of Doylestown.

Dr. Henry B. Nightingale, son of Rev. Samuel Nightingale, born in Baltimore, June 21, 1825, was liberally educated in the public schools and at private schools in Doylestown, where his parents located when he was thirteen years of age, being for some time a pupil of Dr. W. S. Hen- drie. He entered Jefferson Medical Col- lege at Philadelphia in 1848, and grad- uated in 1850. In the following year he located at Rosemont, Hunterdon county, New Jersey, and commenced the practice of his profession. In the autumn of 1853, his health failing, he went to Flor- ida for the winter, and on his return lo- cated at Hougliville, later known as "The Turk," one mile south of Doylestown, where he practiced his profession until the spring of 1858, when he returned to Rosemont and resumed his practice there. Becoming interested in politics, he purchased the "Hunterdon County Democrat," a paper published at Flem- ington, in 1866, and conducted it for one year, when he sold it and took up the practice of his profession at Flemington. In 1870 he removed to Croton, New Jer- sey, but returned to Flemington the fol- lowing year. In the spring of 1873 he again removed to Rosemont, where he was stricken with paralysis on Septem- ber 8, 1873, while hitching his horse pre- paratory to visiting a patient, and died two days later, without regaining con- sciousness. Dr. Nightingale became prominent in the practice of his profes- sion in New Jersey. He was for many years a member of the District Medical Society, its president in 1862, and its secretary from 1862 to 1867, and was re- porter to the State Medical Society for many years. He held many positions of trust, and enjoyed the esteem and con- fidence of a large circle of friends. At the organization of the militia of Hunter- don county in 1861-2, he was commis- sioned by Governor Olden as an aide to Brigadier-General Sergeant.

Dr. Nightingale was a past master Mason, a member of Amwell Lodge, No. 12, and on his removal to Flemington he became associated with Darcy Lodge, No. 37, and was honorably dismissed to organ- ize Orpheus Lodge at Stockton, New Jersey. He was also a member of Lam- bertville Chapter, R. A. M., and was dis- missed to Flemington Chapter. In 1868 he became a member of the Baptist church of Flemington, and was one of its most active and earnest members. He was a man of fine social qualities and generous impulses, and was highly es- teemed in the community in which he lived. Both Amwell and Darcy Lodges, F. and A. M., adopted resolutions ex- pressive of their loss in the death of Dr. Nightingale; from those adopted by the latter Lodge we quote the following as indicative of the esteem in which the Doctor was held: "Past Master Night-

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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

ingale was a true hearted Mason; a pub- lic spirited citizen; a most congenial friend; a kind husband and indulgent fa- ther; a considerate, sympathizing, and skillful physician; a man endowed with superior mental powers, and a heart as unselfish as ever beat in human breast." Dr. Nightingale was married at Doyles- town, February 19, 1851, to Albina C., daughter of Samuel G. and Sarah (Betts) Price, of Buckingham, who still survives him, living in Doylestown. The children of this marriage were:

I. George T., born at Rosemont, Jan- uary 3, 1852, died July 4, 1856.

2. Henry B., born at Houghville, May 7, 1855, is a prominent physician in Phila- delphia, where he has a wife and family.

3. Charles R., the subject of this sketch.

4. Samuel W., born April 19, 1859, was a brass worker in Bellfield's brass works for twenty years, has been a farmer and a traveling salesman for school supplies, and is now (1904) living in Doylestown.

5. Randolph P., born December 12, 1860, spent most of his life in a book- store at Bellefonte, Pennsylvania; in 1888 he entered Jefferson Medical College, but was forced to relinquish his studies on account of ill health in 1890, and was taken to Colorado for his health by his younger brother, John Billington, and died there of phthisis, September, 1890.

6. John Billington, born at Rosemont, New Jersey, September 25, 1862. At the death of his father, being but eleven years of age, he went to live with his uncle George C. Worstall on a farm near Newtown, where he remained until the spring of 1881, when he went into the office of the "Newtown Enterprise" to learn the printer's trade, and was there until 1884, when he went to Kansas with J. Herman Barnsley to look after the lat- ter's real estate interests there. In 1885 he traveled extensively in California and along the Pacific coast, and returned to Kansas City, Missouri, where he entered the employ of Steins Brothers, contract- ors, and was with them in Missouri and Denver, Colorado, until 1891, when with two companions he started for the Crip- ple Creek gold fields and spent three years prospecting for gold, for nearly the whole period in hard luck, finally striking a pocket from which they ex- tracted $23,000 in two hours. In 1896 he was appointed water commissioner by the government, and had charge of the distribution of water for irrigation, and was also under sheriff for Rio Grande county, Colorado, for three years. The high altitude finally affected his health, and he returned east in 1900 and settled in Doylestown, where he still resides and has been the representative and district manager of the International Corres- pondence School for nearly two years. He married at Del Norte, Colorado, De-

cember 27, 1894, May Sumner ; three chil- dren born to them died in infancy.

7. Edward W. Nightingale was born at Rosemont, February 22, 1864; married Mary R. Donaldson, of Doylestown; is now a printer in Philadelphia.

8. Florence Nightingale, born at Rosemont, New Jersey, October 5, 1868, married L. Dorr Barbiere; is now living in Doylestown with one daughter, Mar- gery.

The maternal ancestors of the subject of this sketch were early settlers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. David Price was born in Maidenhead (now Law- renceville) New Jersey, about 1700, and is supposed to have been the grandson of John Price, who came to Philadelphia from Worcester, England, in 1683. James Price was a landholder at Maidenhead as early as 1698. David Price in 1756 purchased two hundred acres of land in Middletown township, Bucks county, and died there in 1765, leaving sons Nathan and James, and daughters; Rebecca, who married Daniel Price, of Kingwood, New Jersey; Eleanor, who married Ben- jamin Stackhouse; Sarah, who died single in Merion in 1767; and Susannah, who married Joseph Mahr, of Northampton county, in 1773. Nathan Price, eldest son of David, resided for some years in Bucks county, and then removed to Hunter- don county, New Jersey, where the remain- ing years of his life were spent. He was sheriff of Hunterdon county in 1807-9. His wife is suppoed to have been a daughter of Timothy Smith of Bucks county. He had sons John, Smith, James and David, and daughters Rebecca, Elizabeth, Sarah and Phebe. Three of his sons (John, Smith and James) became residents of Bucks county, though John eventually returned to New Jersey, from whence his son George removed to Upper Makefield, Bucks county, where descendants of his still reside. Smith Price, second son of Nathan, born Septem- ber II, 1748, settled in Plumstead township, Bucks county, on attaining manhood, and spent the remainder of his life there, dying October 16, 1816. He was a storekeeper at Fardenville for many years, and was a large landholder in Plumstead township. He married, September 1, 1776, Martha, daughter of Joseph Carver, of Bucking- ham, and had by her one son, John, who married Elizabeth Kirk, and has left numerous descendants in middle Bucks. Martha Price died April 11, 1793, and Smith married (second) two years later Hannah (Burroughs?), by whom he had six children : Jonathan, born January 25, 1796, died November 21, 1817; Joseph; Samuel G., born March 1, 1799; Dr. Smith M .; Burroughs; and Mary, who married William Rich.

Samuel G. Price, born March I. 1799, married Sarah, daughter of John and Han- nah (Kirk) Betts, born 11 mo 16, 1803, and had seven children, viz .: Clementina D.,

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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

born 1823, died 1904, at Doylestown, un- married. Albina C., born 8 mo. 14, 1825, the mother of the subject of this sketch, still living with him in Doylestown; married February 19, 1851, Dr. Henry B. Night- ingale; J. Randolph, born 1827, died 1876; married Sarah T. Ward, has one son, George W. Price, living at Salem, New Jersey; Mary R., born 1829, living in Doylestown, single. Charlotte T., born 1830, died 1884; married Townsend Speak- man. Huldah Ann, born 1832, died Jan- uary 1, 1899; married George C. Worstall, of Newtown. Emma Elizabeth, born 1835, died 1882; married Jonathan T. Schofield.

CHARLES R. NIGHTINGALE, born in Doylestown township, December 5, 1856, removed with his parents to Rosemont, New Jersey, when two years of age. He was educated at the public schools of that vicin- ity, supplemented by a course at a semi- nary at Ringoes, and a term at a private school at Clinton, New Jersey. He taught school at Ringoes, Croton and other points in Hunterdon county for ten years, and then accepted a position as agent for a wholesale dye house, traveling over Pennsylvania and Maryland. During the nineties he was a salesman for Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co., and the American Book Company, most of the time acting as their general agent for school supplies, and traveling over the states east of the Mississippi river. In 1900 he was elected a justice of the peace of Doylestown borough, and is located in the Hart Building, where he combines with his official duties a real estate and general business agency. In politics he is a Demo- crat, and religiously is a member of the Baptist church. He is a member of Doyles- town Lodge, No. 245, F. and A. M .; Doyles- town Chapter, No. 270, R. A. M., of which he is a past high priest ; and a member of Aquetong Lodge, No. 193, I. O. O. F. He is unmarried.

DR. WILLOUGHBY H. REED was born in Norristown, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, January 20, 1856, and was educated in the public schools of Norriton township. He learned the trade of printing; graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1879, and from Jefferson Medical Col- lege in 1882. He practiced medicne for several years at Cape May Point, New Jersey, and at his home at Jeffersonville, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. After his marriage to Annie R. Jarrett, November 8, 1884, he engaged in the drug business at Norristown, Pennsyl- vania.

Dr. Reed's ancestors were among the prominent and early settlers of the province of Pennsylvania. His ancestor, Johann Philip Ried (Rieth, Riedt, Reed), was born in Germany, January 26, 1698, and emigrated from Mannheim, Pala- tinate, on the Rhine, Germany, and landed at Philadelphia, in the province

of Pennsylvania, in the ship "Friend- ship." October 17, 1727. He settled on a tract of land in Marlborough township, Philadelphia (now Montgomery) county. He was a farmer and one of the orig- inal (1730) enrolled members of the New Goshenhoppen Reformed church located in Upper Hanover township. He mar- ried Feronica Bergy, who was born in the canton of Berne, Switzerland, on February 13, 1702. Her folks fled in the early part of the eighteenth cen- tury into Germany on account of relig- ious persecution, and afterwards Philip Reed and his wife fled Germany to this country for the same cause.

Philip Reed died in Marlborough township, Philadelphia, September 3, 1783. His wife died at the same place December 13, 1792, and both are in- terred side by side in the New Goshen- hoppen Reformed church burial ground. They had children: Jacob, married to Magdalena Leidy ; Michael, married Anna Maria Mowery; Andrew, married Anna Maria Leidy; Catherine, married Abraham Arndt; Eve, married (first) Valentine Dickenscheid and (second) Joseph Kochen; Margretha, married Theobold Wink; Anna Maria, married Michael Welker; Elizabeth, married John Eberhard.

Jacob, eldest son of Philip and Fer- onica (Bergy) Reed, was the great- grandfather of Dr. Reed. Jacob Reed's active part for the American cause in the Revolution made him conspicuous and prominent in his day. He served as an officer in the Philadelphia county mi- litia as lieutenant-colonel and major of a battalion of troops. In the "Pennsyl- vania Correspondent and Farmer's Ad- vertiser," published in Doylestown, under date of November 21, 1820, ap- pears the following: "Died, In New Britain township, on the 2d instant, Colonel Jacob Reed, in the gIst year of his age. He served his country faith- fully during the whole of that eventful period of the Revolution, and before the close of the war he was honored with a colonel's commission."

Lieutenant-Colonel Jacob Reed in his youthful days received a liberal educa- tion in German and English, and was reared a farmer. Early in manhood he located on a farm in Hatfield township, Philadelphia county, and about 1755 married Magdalena Leidy, daughter of Jacob Leidy, an immigrant, and one of the founders of the Indian Creek Re- formed church. of Franconia township, Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania. This Jacob Leidv. the elder, is also the an- cestor in this country of the late emi- nent naturalist and physician, Professor Joseph Leidv, of the University of Penn- sylvania. In 1793 Lieutenant-Colonel Jacob Reed removed with his family to a farm he already owned in New Bri- tain township, Bucks county, where he

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HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

died November 2, 1820, in the ninety- first year of his age; and. nis wife having died previously at the same place, Aut- gtist 5, 1804, both are interred side by side in the old Leidy's burial ground in Franconia township. Montgomery county, nearby the present borough of Souderton. Jacob and Magdalena (Leidy) Reed had nine children: Philip, Jacob, Andrew, Margaret, Elizabeth, Catherine, Magdalena, Eve and John.

Lieutenant-Colonel Jacob Reed was a man of prominence in his day. He was active and influential as a citizen, and filled a number of positions of public trust. He was a member of the Re- formed church in which he took a deep and active interest. He was instru- mental in founding the Reformed church at Hilltown. He was a prominent and active defender of his country during the Revolutionary struggle, and served during the whole war as an officer in the militia service. He was lieutenant-col- onel and major of the first battalion of the Philadelphia county militia. He ac- tively participated in the battles of Tren- ton, Brandywine, Germantown, etc. He escaped unhurt on the field of battle, but on one occasion, when at home vis- iting his family, he was waylaid by Tor- ies, who first shot him through the leg. then tied him to a tree, tarred and feathered him, and commenced digging his grave in which they purposed bury- ing him. Before completing this last act they were discovered and fled, and he was released from his perilouis situa- tion. The parties engaged in this trans- action fled the country, and their prop- erty was subsequently confiscated. On another occasion, while passing along the highway, he was shot at by a Hes- sian who lay concealed in a fence cor- ner. the bullet grazing his head.

As a token of esteem and respect for their honored ancestor Lieutenant-Col- onel Jacob Reed, Franklin P. Reed and Dr. W. H. Reed (brothers), had erected over his grave a handsome granite sar- cophagus, bearing the following inscrip- tion :-

In Memory of Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Reed, Hatfield Twp., Phila. Co., Pa .. A Patriot and Soldier of the Revolution. An Officer of the Philadelphia County Militia. Served his country actively during the whole war. Participated in the battles of Trenton. Brandywine, Germantown, etc.,

The monument was dedicated by the Montgomery County Historical Society on October 8, 1001, with appropriate ex- ercises. The addresses and papers read on this occasion are in press. and will soon appear in a separate volume.

Andrew Reed, grandfather of Dr. Reed, was the youngest son of Lieuten-

ant-Colonel Jacob and Magdalena (Leidy) Reed. He was born in Hatfield township May 14, 1781, and died June 10, 1869. He was a farmer by occupa- tion, and remained and farmed his father's place in New Britain until his death in 1820. April 21, 1807, he mar- ried Mary Hartman, daughter of Henry Hartman, of Lykens Valley, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and to whom five children were born: Jacob, Michael Hartman, Julian, Abigail and Sarah. An- drew Reed, after the death of his father, removed with his family to a farm that he already owned in Hilltown township, adjoining New Britain. Here he lived until advanced years, when he removed to Hatfield township, Montgomery county, and soon thereafter died. For some years previous to his death he was totally blind. During his life he was strictly honest in all of his dealings, de- voted to his family, and much beloved by his neighbors. Both Mr. and Mrs. Reed were consistent Christians, early Reformed and latterly were members of the Church of the Evangelical Associa- tion at Hilltown, Bucks county, in whose graveyard their remains are in- terred.

Michael Hartman Reed, father of Dr. Reed, was born October 24, 1809, at the home of his grandfather, Lieutenant- Colonel Jacob Reed, in New Britain township, Bucks county, Pennsylvania. He was educated in the nearby Men- nonite district school. When he was but a lad he was indentured with Henry Shellenberger at Line Lexington to learn the trade of hatting. After com- pleting his trade he worked for a while as a journeyman in Schaffer's hat fac- tory at Germantown. In 1830 he located at Skippackville. Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, and conducted the "hat- ting" business. Two years later he sold his hat business at Skippack and located in Philadelphia at the same business. After a successful business he retired in 1847, and removed to Doylestown, Bucks county, where on February 15, 1852. he was married to Marv Ann Rock- afellow. eldest daughter of Jonas and Elizabeth (Probasco) Rockafellow, of Hilltown township, Bucks county. In 1855. with his family, he removed to Norristown, Montgomery county, where the subject of this sketch was born; in 1857 he removed to Jeffersonville. Mont- gomery county, Pennsylvania. At this latter place he resided until his death, January 17. 1898.

Dr. W. H. Reed. besides filling a mim- ber of positions of honor and trust, is a member of the American Pharmacenti- cal Association: the Pennsylvania Phar- maceutical Association. and was its president in 1804-05: is a member of the Alumni Association of Jefferson Medi- cal College: and the Philadelphia Col- lege of Pharmacy. Philadelphia Botani-

HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY.

469

cal Club, Pennsylvania-German Society, Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution, Montgomery County His- torical Society, of which latter he is treasurer; and is also a member of Nor- ristown Lodge. No. 620, Free and Ac- cepted Masons: Norristown Chapter, No. 190, R. A. M., and Hutchinson Com- mandery No. 32, K. T. Dr. Reed has been a contributor to medical, pharma- ceutical. historical and general litera- ture. He is at present engaged writing a "History and Genealogy of the Reed Family."

MAJOR HARRY CRAIG HILL, of San Francisco, California, though not a native of Bucks county, spent his youth- ful days just over its borders at Hat- boro, and has always taken a deep in- terest in the county as the home of his maternal ancestors. He is a son of Dr. John Howard and Cynthia (Craig) Hill, who were married in 1835, and was born in Philadelphia.

His paternal ancestors, William and Mary (Hunter) Hill, came to America from Ireland about 1720 and settled in Middletown. Chester county, where the former died in 1747, leaving six chil- dren-Alexander, Mary, John, Peter, Christiana, and another whose name is unknown, being an infant when the father died. John Hunter, the father of Mary (Hunter) Hill, was a native of Durham, England, and a descendant of the Hunters of Meadowsley Hall, Gates- head. Durham, where are buried many of this noble family who trace their descent from William, the Hunter, who in 1185 married a lady of Whittenstall and founded the family of Meadowsley Hall. John Hunter was a strong church- man. and, having made himself obnox- ious to the Catholic party, was forced to flee from Durham on the accession to the throne of James II, and took refuge in Rathdrum, county Wicklow, Ireland, where he married in 1693 Margaret Al- bin. He was captain of a troop of horse under William of Orange at the battle of the Boyne, July 1, 1690. and was wounded in the left hip, from which he suffered a slight lameness during the remainder of his life. His superior of- ficer in the battle of the Boyne was An- thony Wayne (the grandfather of "Mad Anthony Wayne," of the Revolu- tion), with whom he came to America in 1722. settling for a short time near Downingtown. Chester county, but re- moving the following year to a one thousand acre tract of land in Newtown township. now Delaware county. pur- chased March 17, 1723. where he died in 1731 at the age of seventy years. and is buried in the churchyard at St. David's Episcopal Church, Radnor. of which he was a member of the first vestry. His children were John, William, Mary, Mar-

garet, George, Peter, Martha, Ann, Elizabeth and James, the first and last named being also members of the ves- try of St. David's.

John Hill, son of William and Mary (Hunter) Hill, was born in Middletown, Chester county, in 1736, and died there in February, 1814. He married at Christ Church. July 22. 1760. Mary Gibbons. daughter of Joseph and Hannah ( Mar- shall) Gibbons, and granddaughter of James and Ann (Pearce) Gibbons, great- granddaughter of John and Margery Gib- bons, who came from Warminster. Wiltshire, England. in 1681. and settled in Newtown, Chester county. Mary (Gibbons) Hill was born 2 mo. 15. 1743. Her father. Joseph Gibbons, was a mem- ber of colonial assembly 1748-63, and her grandfather, George Pearce of Thornbury, was also a member of as- sembly 1717-19. Her mother. Hannah Marshall, was a daughter of Abraham Marshall, who came from Gratton, Derbyshire, in 1700, and a sister to Hum- phrey Marshall the famous. botanist. John and Mary (Gibbons) Hill were the parents of thirteen children, eleven of whom lived to maturity and left de- scendants.

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History of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, from the discovery of the Delaware to the present time, Vol. III, Part 101

Author: Davis, W. W. H. (William Watts Hart), 1820-1910; Ely, Warren S. (Warren Smedley), b. 1855; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921 Publication date: 1905 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Davis, W. W. H. (William Watts Hart), 1820-1910; Ely, Warren S. (Warren Smedley), b. 1855; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1040